Tag: Voting

Lawsuit seeks to ensure voters can vote safely by mail in the upcoming elections and ensure ballots count

For Immediate ReleaseMay 1, 2020

In the midst of a global pandemic, The Equity Alliance, in partnership with Campaign Legal Center (CLC) and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, filed a lawsuit today on behalf of two qualified voters and organizations whose many members are not eligible for vote by mail under current law, but wish to avoid exposing themselves or elderly family members to coronavirus.

Other plaintiffs include five organizations facing restrictions preventing them from carrying out necessary voter engagement activities for their members and the community in 2020. Under Tennessee law, the organizations can be punished for giving voters unsolicited requests for an absentee ballot with up to 11 months and 29 days in prison, a fine of up to $2,500, or both.

Typically, Tennesseans have cast their ballots largely in person. Recently, the rapid shift towards voting by mail has revealed how unprepared Tennessee is to ensure all absentee ballots are counted in the upcoming elections. The state gives election officials discretion to reject absentee ballots when elections officials decide, in their judgment, that the voter’s signature on their ballot doesn’t match the voter’s signature on file with the voter registration. This “matching” process is unreliable and prone to mistakes, and because the state does not give voters any opportunity to fix apparent problems with their ballot, leads to disenfranchisement.

The following statement is from The Equity Alliance Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director Charlane Oliver on A. Phillip Randolph Institute v. Hargett. The Equity Alliance is an organizational plaintiff in the suit.

“Tennessee voters should not be forced to choose between their own personal safety and participating in our democratic process. Our state needs to adapt to the current environment brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Our organization wants to be able to proactively assist voters with voting by absentee ballot without the threat of criminal prosecution. We are in unprecedented circumstances that call for state officials to implement safer and secure approaches t ensure democracy is preserved in the Volunteer State.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 29, 2018) – Tennessee ranks 50th in voter turnout and 40th in voter registration. In Davidson County, communities of color live in precincts with the lowest voter turnout. Determined to flip these statistics, The Equity Alliance was founded in 2017 to increase minority voter participation and civic engagement. Today, after registering more than 250 new voters for the May 1 election, the nonprofit released the second installment of the Nashville Voter Guide for the entire Davidson County community.

The Nashville Voter Guide is a comprehensive, free, and nonpartisan public resource for Nashville voters to make an informed decision in the voting booth on Election Day. The guide includes unbiased candidate profiles, roles of each elected office, polling locations and hours, voter ID requirements, transit referendum information and much more.

“We are so excited about bringing this vital community resource and educational tool to Davidson County voters,” said Charlane Oliver, board president and founder of The Equity Alliance. “We are delighted to work with our community partners to ensure this public resource gets into the hands of those who need it most. We’ve spent a lot of time registering people to vote, and now we want to make sure those voters are equipped with knowledge to make an informed decision in the voting booth.”

As part of their voter education and engagement focus, The Equity Alliance released its inaugural voter guide for the May 1st election with more than 1,775 downloads and 2,000 hard copies distributed. The501(c)3 nonprofit has plans to produce a voter guide for the November 6 election.

“One of the biggest hurdles to voter turnout is a lack of awareness of upcoming elections and access to available information on the candidates,” said Oliver. “We have talked with many constituents who say they don’t know who to vote for. Right now, the stakes are too high in our city for us to simply rely on a D or an R behind someone’s name and check a box. With this guide, we’re putting the power back into the people’s hands.”